Chariots of FirePG

Directed by Hugh Hudson | UK | 1980 | 2h 3m | Starring Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell, Ian Holm, Lindsay Anderson

Hugh Hudson’s exhilarating account of the struggle by Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams to compete on their own terms at the 1924 Olympics. In the religiously divided United Kingdom of the early 1920s, devout Christian Liddel sees running as part of his worship of God’s glory, while Abrahams overcomes anti-Semitism in his rise to the top. A rousing British drama which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1982 and is fondly remembered for Vengelis’ soul-stirring synth score.

Classic Season: Sakamoto / Vangelis / Badalamenti

Reviews

‘From the opening scene of pale young men racing barefoot along the beach, full of hope and elation, backed by Vangelis’s now famous anthem, the film is utterly compelling.’
★★★★★
Kate Muir, The Times

‘Chariots is a film for the ages.’
★★★★★
Ian Freer, Empire Magazine

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Chariots of Fire between June 11, 2023 and June 12, 2023.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 27th August)
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15:00

The Summer Book PG
1h 35m
Eight-year-old Sophia spends the summer with her father and grandmother on their family island in Finland's Gulf, all three grieving her mother's recent death. Directed by Charlie McDowell and starring Glenn Close, this quiet drama adapts Tove Jansson's novel.

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17:45

The Summer Book PG
1h 35m
Eight-year-old Sophia spends the summer with her father and grandmother on their family island in Finland's Gulf, all three grieving her mother's recent death. Directed by Charlie McDowell and starring Glenn Close, this quiet drama adapts Tove Jansson's novel.

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20:00

The Odyssey 15
2h 52m
Odysseus, King of Ithaca, journeys home after the Trojan War, confronting vengeful gods and monstrous trials along the way. Christopher Nolan adapts Homer's epic, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.

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Tomorrow (Friday 28th August)
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15:30

On the Sea 15
1h 51m
In rural North Wales, mussel harvester Jack has been married to Maggie for over half his life, troubled by a son who rejects the family trade. When he meets Daniel, an itinerant deckhand, attraction creates an impossible dilemma. Directed by Helen Walsh.

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18:15

Tony 15
1h 46m
In a chaotic restaurant kitchen during the summer of 1975, Tony stumbles into a job that will shape his life. Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) stars as chef Anthony Bourdain in this biographical drama, directed by Matt Johnson (Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie).

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20:45

Thief 18
+ Introduction
1h 59m
Bank Robbery Weekend
Professional safecracker Frank wants one last big score before he walks away from crime for good, but the underworld won't let him go easily. Starring James Caan, Michael Mann's directorial debut is a tightly controlled, hyper-real crime thriller.

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Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

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